There are certain things happy people do consistently. Everyone wants more happiness in their lives, yet happiness can be relative. What makes one person happy may not make someone else happy. One thing is true, however – those who consider themselves satisfied and full of joy often embody a certain set of values. They find reasons to be happy in life and remember to seek out people who share in their values.

Sadly, many people often wait for happiness to find them. Yet the happiest people understand that joy is not a passive feeling. It takes hard work and dedication to live a fulfilled life. Luckily, most happy people find that certain actions can aid in finding joy and contentment in the world.

9 Simple Things Happy People Do Consistently

1. They Practice Forgiveness

It’s not easy to forgive and forget; yet forgiveness doesn’t just benefit the recipient. Happy people understand that forgiving someone can be a cathartic experience. Holding on to pain and anger only hurts the person who is doing the feeling and not the recipient.

Luckily, there’s no need to make a verbal connection to forgive someone. Forgiveness can be a passive act that happens within the mind and doesn’t always need to be accompanied by an exchange with another person.

2. They Nurture Their Relationships

Happiness doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen in isolation. Consistently happy people are able to nurture relationships with others and give thanks to others around them. Anyone who has heard the saying that it’s better to give than receive can understand the importance of keeping friends close. This step is closely related to practicing gratitude. Remembering the happiness and joy that others bring can be as joyful as the memories themselves.

3. They Take Care of Themselves – Physically and Emotionally

Self-care is an important part of happiness. It’s easy to focus so much on caring for others and forget about oneself. Exercising for at least 20 minutes a day not only keeps the body strong and healthy, but it can also aid in endorphin releases in the brain. Since endorphins are an important aspect of mental health, they can contribute to overall happiness.

4. They Make It a Point Not to be Mean

When people are kind to others, others are more likely to be kind to them. Not only does kindness elicit a positive response from other people, but it can spark activity in parts of the brain that aid in feeling happiness. Those who are mean to others often reap what they sow. Acting out in kindness can have benefits for the giver than the receiver.

5. They Stand Firm in Their Truth

Happy people have a certain set of values, and they almost never deviate from these. Not every person’s values need to be a carbon copy of someone else’s, yet a code of ethics can help elicit feelings of self-worth and purpose. When someone questions a happy person’s values, the happy person can feel confident that he or she is staying true to his values.

6. They Understand That You Can’t Please Everyone

People-pleasers often take on too much. They walk around trying to make everyone else happy. Yet trying to please everyone has one guarantee: These people will never please themselves. People-pleasing is a numbers game. Not everyone can be happy all the time. When one’s happiness is tangled in the happiness of others, then no one will feel satisfied.

7. They Practice Gratitude

Those who remember why they are happy tend to be happier than those who don’t. When people remember past events, they often remember these happy events as eliciting more joy than they actually did. People who count their blessings or remember why they are happy may become happier than people who only remember what they want to change in their lives.

8. They Work on Not Comparing Themselves to Others

Every person is unique. Those who compare themselves to others will never feel satisfied with their own lives. Accepting that every person’s story is unique is a huge step toward happiness. People who live by their own values, and accept that their values may differ from the values of others, are often much more satisfied than people who constantly feel that they might never live up to other people.

9. They Set Goals and Work Towards Them

People who set goals have higher feelings of satisfaction and contentment than those who don’t. Setting goals and celebrating successes can be a reminder of accomplishments. Goal-setting is not only a reminder of what one wants, but it can also be a reminder to be happy about your accomplishments. Happiness is not something that happens passively; happiness is a conscious act of contentment.

These are some of the things happy people do consistently. Are you observing most, if not all of them?